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George
It was a little over a year ago that I met a man named George (name changed). I met him in a bus depot in New Mexico on my way to visit Jenn in Colorado for Valentine’s Day. It was about 7am or so and I had just gotten off a bus that had taken me through a blizzard outside of Amarillo, TX. Needless to say being on a Greyhound Bus in a blizzard at 2am is not my idea of a good time, but it was worth it. Anyway…I sat down after walking around the bus depot for a while and a young looking Hispanic man sat down about 10 feet away from me. He looked like your average guy just waiting for a bus. After about 10 minutes or so of just sitting there (I was reading a book) he asked me if I knew which terminal the bus to Roswell was departing. I was unsure, but after looking around I noticed a board with the terminal numbers and departure times. I read him the one for Roswell. The bus for Roswell was not departing until late in the afternoon, so I joked with the man that he had a long time to wait. He said he did not mind because early that day he was released from prison, and he was going home to Roswell to see his fiancé and kids. He seemed very excited to be going home, but he also was very reserved and humble. After a few minutes of silence, he struck up a conversation with me that lasted for a better part of an hour. I do not remember everything we talked about, but I do remember thinking to myself how a person like this, a hardworking person who obviously loved his family and the Lord could get sent to prison. He never told me why he went to prison, but he hinted enough that it was drug related. A few months before he was arrested he was laid off. I know Roswell was and is not experiencing an economic boom, so I could only imagine how tough it would be to have a family and get laid off in a small town. After talking for a while longer, I noticed that my bus was getting ready to leave. I left George with a pack of gum and some beef jerky (he commented on how long it had been since he had a piece of gum). As I said goodbye, I walked away a changed person. Rarely do I have the opportunity to meet “real people”. I spend my days with privileged. Sometimes I wonder if I can do this for the rest of my life.
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Monday, February 14, 2005
Valentine’s Day
I am not big on Valentine’s Day, never have been. Fortunately, Jenn is not either, so it makes it easier for us. We have our special days of the year, and Valentine’s Day is not one of them. It is not a bad day, but it is way too commercialized. However, if you are so inclined to celebrate this day with big fanfare and what not, more power to you :-).
There are actually very few Valentine Days that I remember. However, the most memorable was when I was in 4th Grade. We had a huge food fight during our party, and in order to “calm us down” our teacher turned out the lights. Now, I understand this is a tactic that some teachers use to make kids quiet, but on that day it only encouraged us. I remember our teacher leaving the room to get the principal and the parents who volunteered for the day watched as we put a bucket of confetti over the door so that when our teacher re-entered the classroom she would get her beehive hairdo full of confetti. I remember that parents were not watching us with joy, or curiosity, rather they watched us with fear in their eyes. I am still unsure of how a group of 4th graders were able to instill fear into the hearts of adults, and that will forever be a question in my mind. To this day when I see the little sweetheart candies I remember loading up a plastic spoon with ice cream topped with the candies and aiming at the nearest person. I do not remember how the food fight ended, but I am sure it was more anti-climatic than I would recall. This is still the best memory I have from 4th grade and one of the best from my entire elementary school experience.
I am not big on Valentine’s Day, never have been. Fortunately, Jenn is not either, so it makes it easier for us. We have our special days of the year, and Valentine’s Day is not one of them. It is not a bad day, but it is way too commercialized. However, if you are so inclined to celebrate this day with big fanfare and what not, more power to you :-).
There are actually very few Valentine Days that I remember. However, the most memorable was when I was in 4th Grade. We had a huge food fight during our party, and in order to “calm us down” our teacher turned out the lights. Now, I understand this is a tactic that some teachers use to make kids quiet, but on that day it only encouraged us. I remember our teacher leaving the room to get the principal and the parents who volunteered for the day watched as we put a bucket of confetti over the door so that when our teacher re-entered the classroom she would get her beehive hairdo full of confetti. I remember that parents were not watching us with joy, or curiosity, rather they watched us with fear in their eyes. I am still unsure of how a group of 4th graders were able to instill fear into the hearts of adults, and that will forever be a question in my mind. To this day when I see the little sweetheart candies I remember loading up a plastic spoon with ice cream topped with the candies and aiming at the nearest person. I do not remember how the food fight ended, but I am sure it was more anti-climatic than I would recall. This is still the best memory I have from 4th grade and one of the best from my entire elementary school experience.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Freedom Lost
Even the very conservative former 2004 VP Candidate from the US Consitution Party sees the loss of liberty in the United States. Maybe those true Conservatives and Classic Liberals can join together with the Progressives and modern Liberals to fight against the threat of tyranny.
Check out Chuck Baldwin's Column "Freedoms Lost Under G.W. Bush" from The Baltimore Chronicle
Snow
Today it is snowing. This is the most snow I've seen since moving here to Arkansas. While it is only about 2-2.5 inches it is a wild wild world outside. It seems that no one is here on campus, the streets were fairly empty, all the local schools were closed (but not the university). Very crazy, very funny. I miss snow.
Even the very conservative former 2004 VP Candidate from the US Consitution Party sees the loss of liberty in the United States. Maybe those true Conservatives and Classic Liberals can join together with the Progressives and modern Liberals to fight against the threat of tyranny.
Check out Chuck Baldwin's Column "Freedoms Lost Under G.W. Bush" from The Baltimore Chronicle
Snow
Today it is snowing. This is the most snow I've seen since moving here to Arkansas. While it is only about 2-2.5 inches it is a wild wild world outside. It seems that no one is here on campus, the streets were fairly empty, all the local schools were closed (but not the university). Very crazy, very funny. I miss snow.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Wisdom of the Tao Te Ching
These three verses struck me today. As usual it seems that my mind wanders to those things over which I would not even have a laughable amount of input.
From the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu:
56
Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.
Stop talking,
meditate in silence,
blunt your sharpness,
release your worries,
harmonize your inner light,
and become one with the dust.
Doing this is the called the dark and mysterious identity.
Those who have achieved the mysterious identity
can not be approached, and they can not be alienated.
They can not be benefited nor harmed.
They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace.
This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens.
57
Govern your country with integrity,
Weapons of war can be used with great cunning,
but loyalty is only won by not-doing.
How do I know the way things are?
By these:
The more prohibitions you make,
the poorer people will be.
The more weapons you posses,
the greater the chaos in your country.
The more knowledge that is acquired,
the stranger the world will become.
The more laws that you make,
the greater the number of criminals.
Therefore the Master says:
I do nothing,
and people become good by themselves.
I seek peace,
and people take care of their own problems.
I do not meddle in their personal lives,
and the people become prosperous.
I let go of all my desires,
and the people return to the Uncarved Block.
58
If a government is unobtrusive,
the people become whole.
If a government is repressive,
the people become treacherous.
Good fortune has its roots in disaster,
and disaster lurks with good fortune.
Who knows why these things happen,
or when this cycle will end?
Good things seem to change into bad,
and bad things often turn out for good.
These things have always been hard to comprehend.
Thus the Master makes things change
without interfering.
She is probing yet causes no harm.
Straightforward, yet does not impose her will.
Radiant, and easy on the eye.
These three verses struck me today. As usual it seems that my mind wanders to those things over which I would not even have a laughable amount of input.
From the Tao Te Ching by Lao-Tzu:
56
Those who know do not talk.
Those who talk do not know.
Stop talking,
meditate in silence,
blunt your sharpness,
release your worries,
harmonize your inner light,
and become one with the dust.
Doing this is the called the dark and mysterious identity.
Those who have achieved the mysterious identity
can not be approached, and they can not be alienated.
They can not be benefited nor harmed.
They can not be made noble nor to suffer disgrace.
This makes them the most noble of all under the heavens.
57
Govern your country with integrity,
Weapons of war can be used with great cunning,
but loyalty is only won by not-doing.
How do I know the way things are?
By these:
The more prohibitions you make,
the poorer people will be.
The more weapons you posses,
the greater the chaos in your country.
The more knowledge that is acquired,
the stranger the world will become.
The more laws that you make,
the greater the number of criminals.
Therefore the Master says:
I do nothing,
and people become good by themselves.
I seek peace,
and people take care of their own problems.
I do not meddle in their personal lives,
and the people become prosperous.
I let go of all my desires,
and the people return to the Uncarved Block.
58
If a government is unobtrusive,
the people become whole.
If a government is repressive,
the people become treacherous.
Good fortune has its roots in disaster,
and disaster lurks with good fortune.
Who knows why these things happen,
or when this cycle will end?
Good things seem to change into bad,
and bad things often turn out for good.
These things have always been hard to comprehend.
Thus the Master makes things change
without interfering.
She is probing yet causes no harm.
Straightforward, yet does not impose her will.
Radiant, and easy on the eye.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Significance of the Historical Jesus
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer in the year old issue of Radical Grace writes in the article "Reclaiming the Missing Jesus", "Jesus is missing and we need his guidance. He is missing because Christian theologies, creeds, and actions are disconnected from his life as a revelation of God. The Christ of faith is the object of worship and the subject of our creeds and New Testament Gospels. This Christ, however, is often at odds with the historical Jesus and the God revealed through his life. Jesus, who was experienced by some as good news and revelation of God and by others as a subversive threat worthy of scorn and death, has all but disappeared from Christianity. It should not surprise us that Jesus was killed by his enemies. More surprising is how Jesus has been distorted by his admirers, from New Testament times to our own."
I find this article incredibly interesting especially when compared to a "popular" Christian Television show where there is much talk about how individuals cannot not believe a God that the individual creates to fit their personal beliefs. It is obvious that there is much disagreement as to what Jesus Christ actually believed, lived and practiced (or at least there exists a few different ideas on the matter). I cannot really comprehend why it is wrong to understand the historical Jesus. I would think that it would only strengthen one's faith. I know it did mine when I took a class on historical christianity. I would compare studying the historical Jesus to studying the founders of our country. We can better understand the Constitution by better understanding who wrote it, and by better understanding the context in which it was written. Same goes for Jesus and the Bible. I know Jesus is eternal (unlike the Constitution and our nation's founders) but that does not mean that we should just forget where He came from and when he walked the Earth as man.
Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer in the year old issue of Radical Grace writes in the article "Reclaiming the Missing Jesus", "Jesus is missing and we need his guidance. He is missing because Christian theologies, creeds, and actions are disconnected from his life as a revelation of God. The Christ of faith is the object of worship and the subject of our creeds and New Testament Gospels. This Christ, however, is often at odds with the historical Jesus and the God revealed through his life. Jesus, who was experienced by some as good news and revelation of God and by others as a subversive threat worthy of scorn and death, has all but disappeared from Christianity. It should not surprise us that Jesus was killed by his enemies. More surprising is how Jesus has been distorted by his admirers, from New Testament times to our own."
I find this article incredibly interesting especially when compared to a "popular" Christian Television show where there is much talk about how individuals cannot not believe a God that the individual creates to fit their personal beliefs. It is obvious that there is much disagreement as to what Jesus Christ actually believed, lived and practiced (or at least there exists a few different ideas on the matter). I cannot really comprehend why it is wrong to understand the historical Jesus. I would think that it would only strengthen one's faith. I know it did mine when I took a class on historical christianity. I would compare studying the historical Jesus to studying the founders of our country. We can better understand the Constitution by better understanding who wrote it, and by better understanding the context in which it was written. Same goes for Jesus and the Bible. I know Jesus is eternal (unlike the Constitution and our nation's founders) but that does not mean that we should just forget where He came from and when he walked the Earth as man.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
I Guess this means...
New RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman said while addressing the Republican National Committee that "We can deepen the GOP by identifying and turning out Americans who vote for President but miss off year elections and agree with our work for a culture of life, promotion or marriage, and belief in our 2nd Amendment heritage."
So the reasoning that Mr. Mehlman gives for voting Republican is that the Republicans support a culture of life (well only when it comes to Abortion, they prefer the culture of death when it comes to war, criminals and the poor), that they support the promotion of marriage (because marriage is more valuable than fidelity, values, education, etc) and that they believe in the heritage of the 2nd Amendment (so if you support Amendment's 1 and/or 3-10 you should not be Republican, heck the other nine Amendments are irrelevant).
Mr. Mehlman further establishes the priorities of the Republican Party on the national level. One of those priorities is not people. Heck, where are the reasons to vote Republican that include balancing the budget, providing more better paying American jobs, restricting the role of government in our daily lives, etc? The Republican Party has turned into the party of homophobes and gun nuts...who would rather have assualt rifles than the freedom of speech...or at least Mr. Mehlman would like to see it that way.
New RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman said while addressing the Republican National Committee that "We can deepen the GOP by identifying and turning out Americans who vote for President but miss off year elections and agree with our work for a culture of life, promotion or marriage, and belief in our 2nd Amendment heritage."
So the reasoning that Mr. Mehlman gives for voting Republican is that the Republicans support a culture of life (well only when it comes to Abortion, they prefer the culture of death when it comes to war, criminals and the poor), that they support the promotion of marriage (because marriage is more valuable than fidelity, values, education, etc) and that they believe in the heritage of the 2nd Amendment (so if you support Amendment's 1 and/or 3-10 you should not be Republican, heck the other nine Amendments are irrelevant).
Mr. Mehlman further establishes the priorities of the Republican Party on the national level. One of those priorities is not people. Heck, where are the reasons to vote Republican that include balancing the budget, providing more better paying American jobs, restricting the role of government in our daily lives, etc? The Republican Party has turned into the party of homophobes and gun nuts...who would rather have assualt rifles than the freedom of speech...or at least Mr. Mehlman would like to see it that way.
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